Extract W-4 Data

Tax and finance teams use this recipe to extract W-4 fields from official forms into structured JSON for review, routing, and downstream filing preparation.

APIs Used

Document Extraction (1 credit per page)

Prerequisites

You need an Iteration Layer API key. Get one at platform.iterationlayer.com during the 7-day trial.

For full integration guidance (SDKs, auth, MCP, error handling), see the Iteration Layer Integration Guide.

Implementation

curl -X POST https://api.iterationlayer.com/document-extraction/v1/extract \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
  "files": [
    {
      "type": "url",
      "name": "w-4.pdf",
      "url": "https://example.com/documents/w-4-sample.pdf"
    }
  ],
  "schema": {
    "fields": [
      {
        "name": "employee_name",
        "type": "TEXT",
        "description": "Employee full name"
      },
      {
        "name": "social_security_number",
        "type": "TEXT",
        "description": "Employee Social Security number"
      },
      {
        "name": "address",
        "type": "ADDRESS",
        "description": "Employee address"
      },
      {
        "name": "filing_status",
        "type": "TEXT",
        "description": "Selected filing status"
      },
      {
        "name": "dependents_amount",
        "type": "CURRENCY_AMOUNT",
        "description": "Step 3 dependent and other credits amount"
      },
      {
        "name": "other_income",
        "type": "CURRENCY_AMOUNT",
        "description": "Step 4(a) other income"
      },
      {
        "name": "deductions",
        "type": "CURRENCY_AMOUNT",
        "description": "Step 4(b) deductions"
      },
      {
        "name": "extra_withholding",
        "type": "CURRENCY_AMOUNT",
        "description": "Step 4(c) extra withholding"
      },
      {
        "name": "is_signed",
        "type": "BOOLEAN",
        "description": "Whether the employee signature is present"
      },
      {
        "name": "signature_date",
        "type": "DATE",
        "description": "Date signed"
      }
    ]
  }
}'

import { IterationLayer } from "iterationlayer";

const client = new IterationLayer({ apiKey: "YOUR_API_KEY" });

const result = await client.extractDocument({
  "files": [
    {
      "type": "url",
      "name": "w-4.pdf",
      "url": "https://example.com/documents/w-4-sample.pdf"
    }
  ],
  "schema": {
    "fields": [
      {
        "name": "employee_name",
        "type": "TEXT",
        "description": "Employee full name"
      },
      {
        "name": "social_security_number",
        "type": "TEXT",
        "description": "Employee Social Security number"
      },
      {
        "name": "address",
        "type": "ADDRESS",
        "description": "Employee address"
      },
      {
        "name": "filing_status",
        "type": "TEXT",
        "description": "Selected filing status"
      },
      {
        "name": "dependents_amount",
        "type": "CURRENCY_AMOUNT",
        "description": "Step 3 dependent and other credits amount"
      },
      {
        "name": "other_income",
        "type": "CURRENCY_AMOUNT",
        "description": "Step 4(a) other income"
      },
      {
        "name": "deductions",
        "type": "CURRENCY_AMOUNT",
        "description": "Step 4(b) deductions"
      },
      {
        "name": "extra_withholding",
        "type": "CURRENCY_AMOUNT",
        "description": "Step 4(c) extra withholding"
      },
      {
        "name": "is_signed",
        "type": "BOOLEAN",
        "description": "Whether the employee signature is present"
      },
      {
        "name": "signature_date",
        "type": "DATE",
        "description": "Date signed"
      }
    ]
  }
});

from iterationlayer import IterationLayer

client = IterationLayer(api_key="YOUR_API_KEY")

result = client.extract_document(**{
  "files": [
    {
      "type": "url",
      "name": "w-4.pdf",
      "url": "https://example.com/documents/w-4-sample.pdf"
    }
  ],
  "schema": {
    "fields": [
      {
        "name": "employee_name",
        "type": "TEXT",
        "description": "Employee full name"
      },
      {
        "name": "social_security_number",
        "type": "TEXT",
        "description": "Employee Social Security number"
      },
      {
        "name": "address",
        "type": "ADDRESS",
        "description": "Employee address"
      },
      {
        "name": "filing_status",
        "type": "TEXT",
        "description": "Selected filing status"
      },
      {
        "name": "dependents_amount",
        "type": "CURRENCY_AMOUNT",
        "description": "Step 3 dependent and other credits amount"
      },
      {
        "name": "other_income",
        "type": "CURRENCY_AMOUNT",
        "description": "Step 4(a) other income"
      },
      {
        "name": "deductions",
        "type": "CURRENCY_AMOUNT",
        "description": "Step 4(b) deductions"
      },
      {
        "name": "extra_withholding",
        "type": "CURRENCY_AMOUNT",
        "description": "Step 4(c) extra withholding"
      },
      {
        "name": "is_signed",
        "type": "BOOLEAN",
        "description": "Whether the employee signature is present"
      },
      {
        "name": "signature_date",
        "type": "DATE",
        "description": "Date signed"
      }
    ]
  }
})

package main

import il "github.com/iterationlayer/sdk-go"

func main() {
	client := il.NewClient("YOUR_API_KEY")

	result, err := client.ExtractDocument(il.ExtractDocumentRequest{
		Files: []il.FileInput{
			il.FileInput{
				Type: "url",
				Name: "w-4.pdf",
				Url: "https://example.com/documents/w-4-sample.pdf",
			},
		},
		Schema: il.ExtractionSchema{
			Fields: []any{
				il.TextFieldConfig{
					Name: "employee_name",
					Type: "TEXT",
					Description: "Employee full name",
				},
				il.TextFieldConfig{
					Name: "social_security_number",
					Type: "TEXT",
					Description: "Employee Social Security number",
				},
				il.AddressFieldConfig{
					Name: "address",
					Type: "ADDRESS",
					Description: "Employee address",
				},
				il.TextFieldConfig{
					Name: "filing_status",
					Type: "TEXT",
					Description: "Selected filing status",
				},
				il.CurrencyAmountFieldConfig{
					Name: "dependents_amount",
					Type: "CURRENCY_AMOUNT",
					Description: "Step 3 dependent and other credits amount",
				},
				il.CurrencyAmountFieldConfig{
					Name: "other_income",
					Type: "CURRENCY_AMOUNT",
					Description: "Step 4(a) other income",
				},
				il.CurrencyAmountFieldConfig{
					Name: "deductions",
					Type: "CURRENCY_AMOUNT",
					Description: "Step 4(b) deductions",
				},
				il.CurrencyAmountFieldConfig{
					Name: "extra_withholding",
					Type: "CURRENCY_AMOUNT",
					Description: "Step 4(c) extra withholding",
				},
				il.BooleanFieldConfig{
					Name: "is_signed",
					Type: "BOOLEAN",
					Description: "Whether the employee signature is present",
				},
				il.DateFieldConfig{
					Name: "signature_date",
					Type: "DATE",
					Description: "Date signed",
				},
			},
		},
	})
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}

	_ = result
}

{
  "name": "Extract W-4 Data",
  "nodes": [
    {
      "parameters": {
        "content": "## Extract W-4 Data\n\nTax and finance teams use this recipe to extract W-4 fields from official forms into structured JSON for review, routing, and downstream filing preparation.\n\n**Note:** This workflow uses the Iteration Layer community node (`n8n-nodes-iterationlayer`). Install it via Settings > Community Nodes on self-hosted n8n, or add it directly on n8n Cloud with Verified Community Nodes enabled.",
        "height": 280,
        "width": 500,
        "color": 2
      },
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
      "typeVersion": 1,
      "position": [
        200,
        40
      ],
      "id": "extract-w-4-data-overview",
      "name": "Overview"
    },
    {
      "parameters": {},
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.manualTrigger",
      "typeVersion": 1,
      "position": [
        250,
        300
      ],
      "id": "extract-w-4-data-trigger",
      "name": "Manual Trigger"
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "resource": "documentExtraction",
        "schemaInputMode": "rawJson",
        "schemaJson": "{\n  \"fields\": [\n    {\n      \"name\": \"employee_name\",\n      \"type\": \"TEXT\",\n      \"description\": \"Employee full name\"\n    },\n    {\n      \"name\": \"social_security_number\",\n      \"type\": \"TEXT\",\n      \"description\": \"Employee Social Security number\"\n    },\n    {\n      \"name\": \"address\",\n      \"type\": \"ADDRESS\",\n      \"description\": \"Employee address\"\n    },\n    {\n      \"name\": \"filing_status\",\n      \"type\": \"TEXT\",\n      \"description\": \"Selected filing status\"\n    },\n    {\n      \"name\": \"dependents_amount\",\n      \"type\": \"CURRENCY_AMOUNT\",\n      \"description\": \"Step 3 dependent and other credits amount\"\n    },\n    {\n      \"name\": \"other_income\",\n      \"type\": \"CURRENCY_AMOUNT\",\n      \"description\": \"Step 4(a) other income\"\n    },\n    {\n      \"name\": \"deductions\",\n      \"type\": \"CURRENCY_AMOUNT\",\n      \"description\": \"Step 4(b) deductions\"\n    },\n    {\n      \"name\": \"extra_withholding\",\n      \"type\": \"CURRENCY_AMOUNT\",\n      \"description\": \"Step 4(c) extra withholding\"\n    },\n    {\n      \"name\": \"is_signed\",\n      \"type\": \"BOOLEAN\",\n      \"description\": \"Whether the employee signature is present\"\n    },\n    {\n      \"name\": \"signature_date\",\n      \"type\": \"DATE\",\n      \"description\": \"Date signed\"\n    }\n  ]\n}",
        "files": {
          "fileValues": [
            {
              "fileInputMode": "url",
              "fileName": "w-4.pdf",
              "fileUrl": "https://example.com/documents/w-4-sample.pdf"
            }
          ]
        }
      },
      "type": "n8n-nodes-iterationlayer.iterationLayer",
      "typeVersion": 1,
      "position": [
        500,
        300
      ],
      "id": "extract-w-4-data-extract",
      "name": "Extract Data",
      "credentials": {
        "iterationLayerApi": {
          "id": "1",
          "name": "Iteration Layer API"
        }
      }
    }
  ],
  "connections": {
    "Manual Trigger": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Extract Data",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    }
  },
  "settings": {
    "executionOrder": "v1"
  }
}

Extract w-4 data from the file at [file URL]. Use the extract_document tool with these fields:

- employee_name (TEXT): Employee full name
- social_security_number (TEXT): Employee Social Security number
- address (ADDRESS): Employee address
- filing_status (TEXT): Selected filing status
- dependents_amount (CURRENCY_AMOUNT): Step 3 dependent and other credits amount
- other_income (CURRENCY_AMOUNT): Step 4(a) other income
- deductions (CURRENCY_AMOUNT): Step 4(b) deductions
- extra_withholding (CURRENCY_AMOUNT): Step 4(c) extra withholding
- is_signed (BOOLEAN): Whether the employee signature is present
- signature_date (DATE): Date signed

Response

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "employee_name": {
      "value": "Employee Name",
      "confidence": 0.97,
      "citations": [
        "EMPLOYEE NAME"
      ]
    },
    "social_security_number": {
      "value": "Social Security Number",
      "confidence": 0.97,
      "citations": [
        "SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER"
      ]
    },
    "address": {
      "value": {
        "street": "100 Market Street",
        "city": "Berlin",
        "postal_code": "10115",
        "country": "DE"
      },
      "confidence": 0.97,
      "citations": [
        "ADDRESS"
      ]
    },
    "filing_status": {
      "value": "Filing Status",
      "confidence": 0.97,
      "citations": [
        "FILING STATUS"
      ]
    },
    "dependents_amount": {
      "value": {
        "amount": "1234.56",
        "currency": "USD"
      },
      "confidence": 0.97,
      "citations": [
        "$1,234.56"
      ]
    },
    "other_income": {
      "value": {
        "amount": "1234.56",
        "currency": "USD"
      },
      "confidence": 0.97,
      "citations": [
        "$1,234.56"
      ]
    },
    "deductions": {
      "value": {
        "amount": "1234.56",
        "currency": "USD"
      },
      "confidence": 0.97,
      "citations": [
        "$1,234.56"
      ]
    },
    "extra_withholding": {
      "value": {
        "amount": "1234.56",
        "currency": "USD"
      },
      "confidence": 0.97,
      "citations": [
        "$1,234.56"
      ]
    },
    "is_signed": {
      "value": true,
      "confidence": 0.97,
      "citations": [
        "IS SIGNED"
      ]
    },
    "signature_date": {
      "value": "2026-04-15",
      "confidence": 0.97,
      "citations": [
        "15 Apr 2026"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Links

• Integration guide
• Full documentation
• OpenAPI spec
• Browse all recipes